you've got to reach a little more

"i had it all but not what i wanted
'cause hope for me was a place unchartered."

while in the midst of writing my midterm paper for one of my journalism classes i've come to the realization that i've never really written a legitimate review of a recently-released CD that i am absolutely in love with. what CD am i speaking of, you ask? paramore, duh. so how long as it been since it's been released...*checks wikipedia* two and a half weeks? september 29th was the launch date for the united states and canada - i was fortunate enough to head over to the nearest HMV (it took a bus ride and two subway stops...i blame york university) and get it. on the way home i heard on the radio that brand new eyes outsold mariah carey's new album on the first day - mariah carey's new album, memoirs of a perfect angel, had already been out for four days by then. kinda shows that mariah's been losing her touch; the 90s was a great decade, but let's face it - it's over. just sayin', mariah. just sayin'.
but back to my point - brand new eyes is a great follow-up to paramore's sophomore release, riot! it's got the same bright guitars, pounding drums and hayley's commit-it-to-memory vocals, but at the same time there's something different about the way the music's presented. in a sense there's a more mature twang to it - a clear allusion to the past tensions that almost led to the breakup to the band - lyrically-wise and musically. it's a great improvement from the last album, yet at the same it's also very nostalgic. it's like a remake of a classic movie, only this time the remake is somehow better than the classic.
there are some tracks on the CD that are very riot!-like: 'careful' and 'ignorance' reflect the catchy rhythms and energy-driven beats the previous album was practically made of. there are even a few tracks that are reminiscent of the band's debut, all we know is falling: 'all i wanted' and 'playing god' are prime examples with a slower tempo, but still retaining the bright guitars and interlocking harmonies. the two acoustic tracks 'the only exception' and 'misguided ghosts' are a nice change from the loud drums and guitars; the harmonies in 'misguided ghosts' coupled with hayley's softer vocals give off a very chilling, almost nostalgic mood. all in all the track listing is a nice mix-up of both previous albums with a hint of something new.
you can always count on a near-breakup experience to fuel a sense of maturity in the band's sound. the almost-breakup that happened to paramore before the release of brand new eyes is quite evident in the songs. it's more of a read-between-the-lines thing, but once you actually do it you can see the tensions that were felt during the difficult time. hayley does an amazing job of executing these feelings as usual with her vocals; she can outdo present-day mariah carey any day. maybe she can outdo 90s mariah carey too - actually it might seem very plausible.
so what else do i have to say about the new CD? not much i guess - except for the fact that it's satisfiable, well-written, well-executed and definitely something to listen to on repeat. i've been obsessed with 'careful' (also my featured song for today - check the playlist out!) for at least a week and a half after the CD was released - the way hayley sings 'more' at the end of the chorus gets me every time. honestly, how can she sing like that? it boggles the friggin' mind. great job paramore - four and a half stars for you!

in other, not-so-important news...

i finally compiled all of the featured songs i've, er, featured in past entries and put them together in a playlist, which you can see on the right of this blog thinger. if you're bored of your music and you're in need of something new, feel free to check it out. my playlist is as random as random gets.

do i have anything else i need to say...?

...no, i guess not.

'till next time, folks.